Memb-roller: an effective way of making membrane rolls for pathological examination and studies of human placenta

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Obstetrics
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Pathological evaluation of chorioamniotic membranes requires preparing membrane rolls for orientation and extended plane coverage.
• Standardized methods for preparing these rolls are crucial for accurate placental pathology and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel instrument, Annie's memb-roller, designed for the efficient preparation of chorioamniotic membrane rolls.
• To assess the ease of use and effectiveness of Annie's memb-roller in a clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• A new instrument, Annie's memb-roller (two non-toothed arms, 2mm wide, 1mm thick, 8cm long), was designed.
• Placentas from 10 pregnant women with diverse obstetrical conditions were used to test the instrument.
• Membrane rolls were prepared using Annie's memb-roller.

Main Results:

• The preparation of membrane rolls using Annie's memb-roller was consistently easy and successful in all tested cases.
• A strong correlation was observed between membrane lengths measured from fresh placentas and paraffin sections (p < 0.001; r = 0.941).

Conclusions:

• Annie's memb-roller facilitates the easy and successful preparation of chorioamniotic membrane rolls.
• The instrument is highly beneficial for semi-quantitative analysis of chorioamniotic membranes, aiding in the standardization of placental pathology and research practices.